Poor contrast in system settings with dark theme

[shmu26]

Whatever dark theme I choose, whether it be Breeze or the default Garuda theme, I get terrible contrast in the system settings app.
The attached screenshots will both demonstrate the issue and show my appearance settings.
I only have this issue in system settings app, and in System Tray Settings, which might actually be the same thing...

garuda-inxi
System:
  Kernel: 5.15.68-1-lts arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts
    root=UUID=1ae1827d-082e-4190-8d66-84aa16e7a79c rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet quiet splash rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
    loglevel=3
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.25.5 tk: Qt v: 5.15.6 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 1 dm:
    1: LightDM v: 1.32.0 note: stopped 2: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux
    base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: PRIME B365M-A v: Rev X.0x
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: 1203
    date: 10/10/2019
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-9700 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Coffee Lake
    gen: core 9 level: v3 built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6
    model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 0xD (13) microcode: 0xF0
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 8 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 512 KiB
    desc: d-8x32 KiB; i-8x32 KiB L2: 2 MiB desc: 8x256 KiB L3: 12 MiB
    desc: 1x12 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 4299 high: 4558 min/max: 800/4700 scaling:
    driver: intel_pstate governor: performance cores: 1: 4174 2: 3367 3: 4499
    4: 4424 5: 4550 6: 4539 7: 4283 8: 4558 bogomips: 48000
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: Split huge pages
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT disabled
  Type: retbleed mitigation: Enhanced IBRS
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl and seccomp
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced IBRS, IBPB: conditional, RSB
    filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort mitigation: TSX disabled
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CoffeeLake-S GT2 [UHD Graphics 630] vendor: ASUSTeK
    driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20
    ports: active: HDMI-A-1,HDMI-A-2 empty: DP-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0
    chip-ID: 8086:3e98 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Microdia USB Live camera type: USB
    driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-1.2:7 chip-ID: 0c45:636b
    class-ID: 0102 serial: <filter>
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.4 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.3
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: vesa
    alternate: fbdev,intel gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3840x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1016x285mm (40.00x11.22")
    s-diag: 1055mm (41.54")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 mapped: HDMI-1 pos: primary,right model: VG27AQ1A
    serial: <filter> built: 2020 res: 1920x1080 hz: 120 dpi: 82 gamma: 1.2
    size: 596x336mm (23.46x13.23") diag: 685mm (27") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 2560x1440 min: 720x400
  Monitor-2: HDMI-A-2 mapped: HDMI-2 pos: primary,left
    model: Samsung S24B300 serial: <filter> built: 2013 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60
    dpi: 94 gamma: 1.2 size: 521x293mm (20.51x11.54") diag: 598mm (23.5")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa
    22.1.7 direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 200 Series PCH HD Audio vendor: ASUSTeK
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 1-1.2:7 chip-ID: 0c45:636b
    bus-ID: 00:1f.3 class-ID: 0102 chip-ID: 8086:a2f0 class-ID: 0403
    serial: <filter>
  Device-2: Microdia USB Live camera type: USB
    driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.68-1-lts running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 16.1 running: no
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.58 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
    vendor: ASUSTeK PRIME B450M-A driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: e000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168
    class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek 802.11ac NIC type: USB driver: rtl8821cu
    bus-ID: 1-1.1:4 chip-ID: 0bda:c811 class-ID: 0000 serial: <filter>
  IF: wlp0s20f0u1u1 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Cambridge Silicon Radio Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode) type: USB
    driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-2.2:9 chip-ID: 0a12:0001 class-ID: e001
  Report: bt-adapter ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 2.26 TiB used: 805.66 GiB (34.9%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Kingston model: SA400S37480G
    size: 447.13 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
    type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: K1B3 scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Toshiba model: HDWD120
    size: 1.82 TiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
    type: HDD rpm: 7200 serial: <filter> rev: ACF0 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 58.83 GiB size: 58.83 GiB (100.00%) used: 35.81 GiB
    (60.9%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda6 maj-min: 8:6
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 100 MiB size: 96 MiB (96.00%) used: 37.1 MiB
    (38.7%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 58.83 GiB size: 58.83 GiB (100.00%) used: 35.81 GiB
    (60.9%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda6 maj-min: 8:6
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 58.83 GiB size: 58.83 GiB (100.00%) used: 35.81
    GiB (60.9%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda6 maj-min: 8:6
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 58.83 GiB size: 58.83 GiB (100.00%) used: 35.81
    GiB (60.9%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda6 maj-min: 8:6
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 15.49 GiB used: 2.39 GiB (15.4%)
    priority: 100 dev: /dev/zram0
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 44.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 347 Uptime: 23h 17m wakeups: 1 Memory: 15.49 GiB used: 10.33 GiB
  (66.7%) Init: systemd v: 251 default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 clang: 14.0.6 Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 1910
  libs: 409 tools: pamac,paru,yay Shell: fish v: 3.5.1 default: Bash
  v: 5.1.16 running-in: konsole inxi: 3.3.21
Garuda (2.6.7-1):
  System install date:     2022-09-12
  Last full system update: 2022-09-19
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       NetworkManager
  Windows dual boot:       Probably (Run as root to verify)
  Snapshots:               Snapper
  Failed units:   

[FGD]

@shmu26

I only have this issue in system settings app, and in System Tray Settings

You don’t have those crappy colors (I admit your screenshots look bad! ) outside of SystemSettings/SystemTray?
So you open up Dolphin, Web browser, etc. and no issue there?

I believe you have 2 monitors with different DPIs and potentially scalings.
What if you move the SystemSettings window to the other monitor, does it still display bad contrast?

[shmu26]

Dolphin looks great, and so does Firefox and all my other apps.
I have two monitors with different resolution and refresh rate, but the same scaling, which is 100%.
I just moved the SystemSettings window to the other monitor, and it looks the same as on the main monitor.

[FGD]

It's been like that forever or before it worked fine and then after "something" that happened on the machine that you may not know the contrast started to crap up?

[shmu26]

You are free to trash this whole thread after you read my answer......

I installed Garuda Xfce like a week ago. Everything worked as expected. Then I installed Plasma desktop on top of it, a couple days ago (with X11, not Wayland) and the problem was there right away.

[FGD]

Actually that's very interesting to know!

I'm not an expert of multiple DMs installed or upgrading from one to another, but I remember reading that having multiple DMs can cause all sort of weird issues.

If you really want to make this work, I'm hoping someone with more knowledge would help.
If you don't need Xfce, one obvious option would be to trash your installation and restart fresh with Plasma. But you know that one already for sure.

[SGS]

@shmu26

You are free to trash this whole thread after you read my answer…

Good point.
If you make such interventions to the system and don’t mention it in the first post, it’s a waste of time from those who want to help.

Just closed.